Al-Hutay'ah
Al-Ḥuṭayʾah full name Jarwal ibn 'Aws al-Absi, was an Arab poet of pre-Islamic Arabia, who later converted to Islam. He was known for his extravagant satire and contributions to Arabic poetry. Aside from satire, Al-Hutay'ah also wrote poems with romance, praise, pride and freedom as themes; all of which have been published in the modern era.
Biography
Lineage
His full name is Jarwal ibn 'Aws ibn Malik ibn Makhzum al-Absi. The lineage of Al-Hutay'ah is traced from there to the tribe of Qays which is descendants from the Arabian patriarch Adnan., his mother was an Ethiopian slave named Al-daraaPre-Islamic life
Al-Hutay'ah was a pioneer of pre-Islamic Arabic poetry and was known for being extreme in making fun of others in his poetry to the point where some of his contemporaries disliked him for that. The Abbasid historian and poet Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani narrated in his Kitab al-Aghani that Al-Hutay'ah was a very eloquent poet with a bad reputation and was regarded to be evil and shameless by his pre-Islamic contemporaries.After Islam
Al-Hutay'ah reportedly converted to Islam in the 7th century but later apostatized and then returned to Islam after the Ridda Wars for the rest of his life. There is a fable that he had an argument with a Sahaba, al-Zabarqan ibn Badr, and the Sahaba sent him to prison under orders of the Rashidun caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab. He was later released on a promise that he would maintain his good conduct and not make fun of other Muslims. The date of death of Al-Hutay'ah is unknown with a few historians speculating he died in circa the 670s.Poetry
Satire
Satirical poetry directed towards others was a speciality of Al-Hutay'ah. He would even make fun of himself. One such example was where he narrated about his reflection in the water.He also made fun of his father: